My philosophy on teaching depends on class size, level of the material, and specific subject. I prefer in all instances, however, to guide the student into developing a sound solution to the problem on their own based on fundamentals rather than giving the student a (or the) solution. In large classes of beginning/intermediate level organic chemistry, I believe it is important to include in lectures current examples of interesting research problems and solutions in order to stimulate interest. I am also a proponent in using modern technologies, such as molecular modeling programs coupled with internet access, to aid in visualization of organic chemistry - one of the more common hurdles of the beginning student. In smaller classes of advanced undergraduate or graduate level, I would prefer to have a less formal lecture style of instruction with more interaction among the students, including in-class problem solving. I would also encourage using molecular modeling techniques as assignments, if possible, to introduce these methods to the students, as these techniques are becoming more and more common in both industrial and academic research situations. In all situations, my teaching goal is to instruct the students in a manner which will allow them to be competitive chemists at the level they pursue.